Under the Mango tree is a simple no-fuss al fresco eatery serving quick and light continental fare

Under the Mango tree is a simple no-fuss al fresco eatery serving quick and light continental fare

So what if you live in a concrete jungle, you can still dine under the mango tree. Well, literally. Under the Mango Tree, the new restaurant on Richmond Road takes over the old Cornucopia and does a fair job at it. Tucked away in a cozy hideaway lane behind the city cricketers' little museum called The Bat and Ball Inn, is UTMT, serving interesting European fare.

Pan-fried Sea Bass

Sit comfortably on one of the wicker chairs, with only wooden rafters and glass panes separating you from the tree as you go back to the days when Bangalore was idyllic and laidback. Wine bottles are strewn around the mango tree posing as fairy lamps and also in the entrance foyer.

Thankfully there's no mish mash of cuisines, just a simple single-pager menu handed on your tables while you peak at the specials chalked out on the blackboard menu which offers along with the day's specials, a mango drink free with one. I wonder if the tree I was sitting under was really fruitful.

The Cream of Asparagus soup (Rs 90) is healthy, a tad creamy and warm making it comforting for the sudden nip in the air. A bread basket with five slivers of insipid bread arrived, but the herb butter served with it was fresh. Sauteed Mushrooms (Rs 160) for entr ufffde were seasoned with oil and lime juice and had the right zing to it.

For the mains, I tried the Grilled Breast of Chicken (Rs 260) which was stuffed with couscous and saut ufffded vegetables. Though the chicken breast was a tad tough and needed a steak knife to slice through, the couscous and veggie stuffing teamed with the chicken sets up an explosive burst of flavours on the palate.

Fish lovers must try the Pan-fried Sea Bass (Rs 310) served on a bed of Fennel Carpaccio, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and lemon oil. The Sea Bass was the highpoint of my meal and shifted my focus immediately from the chicken to the fish making me delightfully fork into the tender and subtle flavoured fillet. There's also a choice of Lasagna and Pastas, Goan style Xacuti or Vindaloo and Thai red and green curries served with rice.

After I called in for my dessert and decided on the cheesecake I wished I had ended my meal with the lingering flavours of the fish as the dessert was a flipside to the meal and was such a downer to a rather pleasant afternoon. My cheesecake had to be returned as it wasn't yet baked. the chocolate cake I tried was sludgy.

Pretty young lass Nirmala, who owns UTMT floats around and attends to the guests personally, told me that they get their desserts from a place nearby as they are still getting their act together with the desserts. The eatery otherwise is perfect for a cozy meal.

At: Under the Mango Tree, The Bat and Ball Inn, 3 Laurel Lane, Richmond Town, Bangalore.
Call: 2211 1112/3/4
Meal for two: Rs 800 UTMT will host lunch and dinner for R 599 plus taxes serving Roast Stuffed Turkey five-course meal and for vegetarians Veg Quiche five-course meal. The set meal would be priced at R 999 with a pitcher of Sangria wine.
On till: December 31